Fourth to franz burger



Patented Dec. 6, |898.

H. m. WILLIAMS.

ROADWAY.

(Application filed Mar. 5. 1B98.\

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. VILLIAMS, OF FORT lVAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO FRANZ BURGER, OF SAME PLACE.

ROADWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N 0. 615,332, dated December 6, 1898.

i Application filed March 5 1898. Serial No. 672,742. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, Allen county, State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roadways, 0f which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the construction of roadways having tracks embedded therein, it being the object of the invention to construct a roadway with permanently-fixed parallel tracks which present smooth unyielding surfaces for the wheels of vehicles, bicycles, drei, to run upon, thereby avoiding the cutting up of the roadway,particularly those constructed of dirt, clay, &c., which in wet weather are often rendered impassable by the wheels of passing vehicles. Y

Vith this object in viert7 the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure l is a cross-sectional view of a roadway constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the track-rails removed from the roadway. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the track-rails, illustrating one manner in which abutting rails are secured together. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional View of one of the track-rails, and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail perspective views of modifications. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the mold employed in laying thel track-rails.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A designates a section of a roadway comprising two separated parallel connected track-rails B, with an intermediate filling C of suitable material, such as broken stone, gravel, clay, dac. or a combination of any two or more of these. Each of the track-rails is formed in its under face with a longitudinal upwardly-converging channel and is embedded in the roadway with its outer face fiush with the contiguous parts of the road upon opposite sides thereof and the chamber or particularly channel thereof filled with the material of which the roadway is constructed, which material is packed or compressed within the said chamber or channel. As shown, the trackrails B are formed of channel-bars of any desired thickness, height, or width, having oppositely-inclined diverging side flanges l l and a flat connecting portion or tread 2, and in practice the side flanges are embedded in the roadway, bringing the connecting portion or tread 2 fiush with the upper surface thereof, the material of the roadway entering and filling the upwardly-converging channel of Ithe rails or bars.

It will be obvious that by forming the rails B with an upwardly-converging channel the material which enters the mouth thereof must be greatly compressed or condensed before the rails can settle, and as this is always done when the rails are laid there is of course little liability of the rails subsequently settling even when exceedingly heavy loads are placed upon them. Preferably the rails are rounded at the meeting-points of their flanges and tread portion, and they are therefore less liable to become injured by the wheels of a vehicle mounting the track. They may, however, be constructed with sharp angles at the points indicated, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, as stated, though it is' preferred to form them with rounded edges, and in 0rder to facilitate the mounting of a vehicle upon the track when driven at an angle thereto and avoid cutting the road at the side of the rails separated projections 3 are formed along the outer edges of the rails, which projections have curved or inclined faces, the upper surfaces of which are flush with the top of the tread 2. At their inner edges the rails are provided with beads or flanges, the purpose of which is to engage and prevent the wheels of a vehicle from slipping off the track. These beads or flanges project slightly above the surface of the tread of the rail, and while they may be continuous it is preferred to form them undulating, as shown, the highest portions 4f of the bead serving to engage with the tires of the wheels, while the intermediate portions, being flush or practically flush with the upper face of the tread ICO of the rails, will permit the wheels to leave the track when they are turned at an abrupt angle thereto.

In order to impart rigidity to the rails or bars B and to prevent spreading of the side flanges thereof under the stress of a heavy load and the consequent loosening of the rails in the road-bed, the edges of their depending flanges l are connected at separated points by means of suitable truss rods or strips 5, and, while these strips may be cast integral with the bars, as shown in Fig. 6, it is preferred to form the said truss rods or strips separate from the rails and readily attachable thereto and detachable therefrom. Thus, as shown in Figs. l to 4, the trusses are in the form of rods formed at each end with two separated lugs 6, between which are received the edges of the flanges l; It will thus be seen that not only is spreading of the rails prevented, but they are practically as strong as they would be if they were formed rectangular in cross-section.

It is desirable that lateral movement of the ends of abutting rails be prevented, and to this end they are suitably connected together. One means of effecting this is illustrated in Fig. 3, such means consisting of a connecting-plate 7, which plate is so shaped as to fit within and conform closely to the inner walls of the rail-channels and is provided at its edges with longitudinal recesses, into which are received the edges of the rail-flanges. These connecting-plates extend from the end of one rail tov that of an abutting rail, and consequently there can be no lateral movement of one of the rails relative to the other. When it is desired to prevent the vertical movement of the end of one rail relative to that of its abutting rail, as well as the lateral movement of said rails relative to each other, the connecting-plate illustrated in Fig. 5 is employed. This plate is provided at its opposite edges with longitudinal horizontal recesses 8, into which are received correspondingly-projecting flanges or lugs 9 at the lower edges of the rail-flanges.

To prevent the spreading or approach of the parallel rails of the track, the rods l0 are employed, which rods extend across from one rail to the other, and beneath the rails and at their ends they are provided with separated vertically-projecting bearings 12, which engage with the opposite edges of each rail.

From the above it will be apparent that a simple and effective track adapted to be employed in the construction of roadways is produced, which track may be manufactured and laid at comparatively small cost and by the use of which roads may be keptin good condition regardless of the state of the weather.

It is well known that the action of frost upon some roadways has a tendency to break or open them up, and ordinarily if rails were embedded in a roadway under these conditions they would be forced out of the roadbed or moved laterally and thrown out of alinement. In the construction above described this cannot occur, for the reason that the parallel rails are not only held in fixed relation to each other, but the ends of abutting rails are also held against movement relative to each other. Moreover, the elevation of the rails out of the road-bed is successfully resisted by the trusses and tie-rods, which serve as anchors, the weight of the material upon them tending to hold them and the rails in position.

In laying the improved track it would entail much labor and expense to embed it in a roadway already built, and consequently a method has been devised whereby' the cost of laying the track is reduced to a minimum. In carrying out this method a mold D, having closed sides and an open top and bottom, is laid upon the roadway, and the space between the sides of the mold is filled with the material which is to constitute the bed for the rails. The sides of the mold D are con nected together at separated points by thin transverse strips d, and the chamber of the mold conforms in contour to the channels of the track-rails; but said chamber is slightly deeper and wider than the said channels. After the moldchambers have been filled the mold is removed, leaving a bed for the trackrails of the same shape in cross-section as the track-channel, the thickness and depth of the bed being slightly greater than the depth and width of the rail-channels. The track-rails are then placed upon these beds and are forced down tightly, compressing the material in their channels, after Vwhich the surfaces ind termediate and at the sides of the track-rail are filled in and built up flush with the treadsurfaces of the rails, as shown in Fig. 1.

Vithout limiting myself to the precise con struction and arrangement of parts shown and described, since it will be obvious that various changes in such construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention,

l. A track-rail formed with a tread and with depending side flanges and trusses arA ranged at separated points extending from one ange of the rail to the other flange there of and provided at each end with a lug adapt ed to engage the outer faces of the ilanges, substantially as described.

2. A track-rail formed with a tread and with depending side flanges and trusses extending from one flange of the rail to the other flange thereof and provided at each end with two separated lugs between which the edges of the rail-flanges are received, substantially as described.

3. A track comprising parallel rails, each rail being formed with a ilat tread and with depending side flanges, trusses arranged at separated points for connecting the side flanges of the rails together and tie-rods for securing the two rails of the track against separation, substantially as described.

IOC

IIO

4. A track-rail formed with aflat bread and inclined faces integral with and projecting depending side flanges and with rounded surat one side of the tread, substantially as defaces at the meeting-points of the tread and scribed. anges, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 5. A track-rail formed with a tread having name to this specification in the presence of r 5 an undulating bead at one edge projecting two subscribing Witnesses.

above the surface of the tread, substantially HENRY M. VILLIAMS. as described. Vitnesses:

6. A track-rail formed with a tread and l Q GEO. K. TORRENCE, y1o having separated projections with curved or J. BURGER. 

